Work Everyday Like You’ll be Fired Tomorrow

Too many people take their job for granted. Over time, it’s like the air has been let out of their proverbial balloon. Where’s the passion, the drive? With long work hours, some people just need a good vacation, while others need a good kick in the butt!

I digress.

Work like you’ll be fired by tomorrow morning.

While your life might have begun with the alignment of career and passion, over time, if not renewed, the passion can wane. To keep yourself driven and challenged, work like you’ll be fired by tomorrow morning!

I recently read a Google+ post by Google employee Steve Yegge. Accidentally, he posted a rant about Amazon that was supposed to be a private communiqué. Instead of burying his head in the sand, Yegge penned a great response that helps put things in perspective. Notably, Yegge explains about work and life that “I thought I was going to get fired every single day. So f*ck timid. Might as well aim high and go out in a ball of flame.”

By no means did Yegge mean to let his rant go public, but through it all, he maintains that a general life lesson is to go to work every day expecting to get fired the next – so be fearless.

Be a Driving Force

Working under the belief that you will most likely be fired the next day, it lights a fire under you. With this mentality, you will push yourself to be the best you can, because you need to prove your worth – every-single-day.

Sound tiring?

Well, looking for a job whilst unemployed is tiring – so I’d rather work with the former.

Say What You Mean

If you believe that you will be fired tomorrow, than you are fearless; you have nothing to lose. If you believe in something, fight for it! The time is here and now, so don’t waste your (and everyone else’s) time being evasive, or not saying what you truly mean.

Saying what you mean does not mean that you are rude or abrasive. It simply means that you have the courage to express yourself. People gravitate towards competence and confidence; you’ll be surprised how well you do when you approach people and situations with this (new-found) knowledge.

Own Your Work

When you believe that you might be fired tomorrow, you own your work. Everyday you work hard. You set goals for yourself and meet them. Some people have a perpetual case of the Fridays; they punch-in and punch-out at a certain time every day (literally and figuratively), and that’s it. A “Friday Thinker’s” output is half of the person’s beside them, but because of seniority, connections, or the length of time they have spent at the company; they have become complacent and believe they are relatively “safe” in their role.

While they might be able to slide by and keep their jobs, they are not rising to their full potential, and the company, as well as the people around them will suffer as a result of their lackadaisical attitude. If you go to work everyday believing that it might be your last, you put in 110%, and strive to be the best in your field.

Overall, take the phrase “work everyday like you’ll be fired by tomorrow morning” with a grain of salt. Don’t walk through life scared that tomorrow will be your last, rather, allow the phrase to motivate you to do your best every-single-day.